Making certain that your tyres are in good condition is a necessary part of road safety. With this in mind, Hometyre has issued some helpful advice
In the wake of the Bank Holiday weekend, and the road accidents that accompanied it, now is a great time to read up on caravan tyre safety checks, and to check that your tyres are road-worthy.
Shropshire based company Hometyre want to help you do just that, and they have created a handy checklist to get you started:
- Check tyre pressure in line with manufacturer’s recommendations, including spares, when the tyres are cold.
- Look for deformities, bulges, lumps, cuts, impact damage and embedded material.
- Look for signs of ageing such as superficial cracks in the sidewall. If in doubt seek professional advice.
- Inspect the tread depth. Although the legal depth is 1.6mm of tread over 75% of the tread width right around the tyre, motoring organisations recommend replacing tyres with a tread depth under 3mm because it offers little grip in the wet.
- Fit the correct tyres and drive within the correct speed limit for the vehicle.
- Check the tyres frequently.
Statistics overwhelmingly prove that tyre safety should not be overlooked. In 2011, 33% of caravan collisions were found to have been caused by a tyre blow-out.
Andy Lawrence of Hometyre commented on the importance of tyre maintenance: “A tyre blow- out is a very serious situation, leading to loss of control and potentially catastrophic consequences.”
“Caravan and motorhome owners need to prepare their vehicles for the coming holiday season. Some are meticulous and check everything is serviced. However, there are simply those who hook up and go.”
Andy also spoke about some items on the market which can benefit the caravan owner: “There are a number of safety devices on the market that can assist the leisure motorist, such as Tyron bands, which can be retro-fitted to wheels to provide extra safety and control in the event of a tyre failure.”
The Caravan Club currently recommend that tyres are replaced every five to seven years, regardless of the tread depth remaining, as dangers can be hidden.
The week and year of a tyre’s manufacture is stamped on the tyre wall and can be used to calculate when tyres should be replaced.
